Foldable box



Get. 34, 1930. R, c. Q NOURSE ET AL ,778,462

FOLDABLE BOX Filed Jan. 16, 1928 TTORNEK Patented Oct. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .RALPH C. C. NOURSE, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, AND HOWARD S. SCHOLES, 0F

- i CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND FOLDABLE Box Application led January 16, 1928. Serial No. 246,941.

This invention relates to boxes of paper and of other foldable material and particularly to a foldable box preferably formed of two telescoping sections.

An object of the present invention is to provide a box section forming a lower or upper half of a box, usually of paper, with an improved form of folded end, the overlapped portions forming a reinforced and rigid end portion.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a foldable box sect-ion adapted for shipment in flat form and adapted to be converted into usable form by folding the ends upward and then folding upon the inner surfaces of the ends and interlocking portions of these outer flaps with portions of the sides of the box section.

Another object of the invention is to provide a foldable box section, the opposite sides of which are folded over and glued or pasted4 down, the ends of each of the folded over portions being formed with a cut out portion forming an abutment for a tab or small flap formed on and interlocking with the folded over end flap.

A further object of the invention is to form the cut out portion of the folded over side flap so that it does not extend to the outer or free edge of the folded sidewall when the box section is in folded or usable form.

A further object of the invention is to provide the folded over portions of the sides with an unpasted flap at each end, this flap adapted toextend aroundthe corner and be enclosed by the end flap to reinforce the Vorner .of the box section. v

With these and other objects in view, our invention consists inthe features of construction and operation set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing annexed hereto and forming a part of this specification, we have shown our invention embodied in a twol part paper box of medium size but it will be understood that the invention can be otherwise embodied and that the drawing is not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims appendouter end flaps inwardlyl ed to this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of a completely folded box section made according to the present invention.

' Fig. 2 is a similar View showing one end ofthe box section in partly folded position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a box section in fiat form and with .the sides folded over upon themselves and suitably pasted down, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of one of the corners of the section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

In the above mentioned drawing, but one embodiment of the invention has been shown which is now deemed preferable, but it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims Without departing from the spirit of the invention. y

Briefly and in lits broadest aspect, our invention comprises t-he following principal or all of the height of the sides; third, cut

out portions in the folded side port-ions adj acent the ends, thus forming recesses for tabs formed on the end portions, the edges of this cut out portion providing abutments; fourth, fiaps formed with the folded over portions of the si des and adapted, when the box is folded, to extend around a corner to the end portion;

fifth, folded over end extensions having laterally extending tabs, the free or outer edges of which engage against the abutments formed in the side portions, these flaps fitting Within and preferably substantially filling the recesses formed by the cut out portions of thev side portions.

Referring more in detail to the figures of.

the drawing a blank sheet preferably of heavy but foldable material such as paste or card board is shown in Fig. 3. This blank comprises either the body or cover portion'of a folding box, the two portions being formed substantially the same except for slight differences in size and being adapted to telescope one Within the other. Assuming that in F ig. 3 the 'body portion of a foldable box is shown, the portion 10 will form the unfolded bottom portion. On opposite sides of this unfolded portion areside Wall portions 11 formed of tWo thicknesses of the material of the box suitably folded along the lines 12 and pasted or otherwise secured in position. The extreme ends 13 of the folded over portions 11 are in the form of extensions or flaps which extend beyond the edges 14 of the bottom 1() and are unpasted. The naturaly resiliency of the stock in. these corner flaps 13 serves to force them outward to press aga-inst the corner portions during the folding operations causing the portions to lie snugly against the end Wall and permitting the end extensions to be more loosely folded thereover into its locked position. As will be more clearly evident from the diagram shown in Fig. 3, the inner or extension portions of the folded over side wall portions 11 have a notch or recess 15 at their ends, which forms an abutment along the edges of the recess -equal in thickness to the thickness of the material. Preferably and as shown clearly in the figures of the drawing, the recess does not extend up to the edge 12 of the side 11. A portion of the side of double thickness extends above the cut out portion. Also the recess in the form selected for illustration has a substantially right angle formed therein.

The end portions of each box sect-ion comprises the ends proper 16, inwardly folding corners 17 and a portion v18 enclosingthe folding corners when the box section is in usable or folded conditi-on. On the portions 18 are laterally extending tabs 19, their outline being preferably of the same size and form as the recess formed in the side portions. In folded position, therefore, these tabs 19 are preferably but not necessarily designed to lill the recesses in the side. portions 11 and their edges Will lie in contact with the abutments formed by the edges of the folded over portions 11. The sides 11 and end portions 16 when in folded position Will therefore be interlocked, one of the outer corners of the -flap 19 .engaging Within the substantially 18 of the ends of the box section encloses the folding corners 17 and the fiaps 13. In-turn this folded over portion 18 is held in interlocked position relative to the side portions 11 by the extensions 19 folded along its vertically extending edge and entering and filling the recess formed by the cut out portions into Which it snaps by the inherent spring of the stock. This interlocking of the end portions 16 and 18 with the sides 11 takes place upon both the telescoping body and cover of the box and does not depend upon engagement Withthe portions4 10 of either.

Ve have shown and described the tabs 19 as being formedxto fit rectangular recesses 23 in the side Walls 11 Which is preferable but these recesses may be made in any convenient shape and the tabs 19 may or may not completely fill these recesses, the essential feature being that the free edges of the tabs are to engage angularly disposed abutments formed by the edges of the recesses in order to retain the extensions 18 in folded position. l/Ve havealso -described each side Wall 11 as folded upon itself for its entire height andcemented in position but we do not desire to be restricted to the folded over portion extending the full height of the side or to this cementing operation as in some instances other securing means for these folded portions of varying heights maybe employed.

vWe claim: l

1'. A folding box comprising in combination, a section having permanently folded over side portions forming a double thickness, the folded over portions having cut out sections forming rectangular recesses, the edges thereof being parallel to the edges of the box at the corner, end portions, diagonally folded corner portions connecting said end portions and side portions, Vsaid- `end portions having folded over extensions adapted toenclose said diagonally folded corner portions, and rectangular tabs outstanding from said endextensions entering and filling said recesses in the folded over side portions to lock said side and end portions in folded position, said tabs When in locking position being folded along their vertically extending edges.

2. A folding box comprising in combination, a section having folded over'sidel porl tions forming a double thickness suitably secured together, laterally extending flaps formed on said side portions at their opposite ends, said folded-over side portions having cut out portions forming rectangular recesses of substantial Width and height relative to the height of the box, diagonally folded corner portions, end portions having folded over extensions adapted to enclose said folded corner portions and said liaps on said side portions, and rectangular interlocking and closely engaging means on said end extensions folded upon their vertically 'extending edges and disposed Within said recesses on saidy folded over side portions to retain the section in folded condition.

3. A folding box comprising in combination, a section having folded over side por- 5. tions forming a double thickness, the folded over portions having cut out sections forming rectangular recesses adjacent the corners having a right Aangle formed therein at a material distance from the corner edge of the box and below the creased outer edge of the folded side portion, end portions, diagonally folded corner portions integrally 'connecting said end portions and side portions, said end portions having folded over extensions adapted to enclose said folded corner portions, and rectangular tabs adapted to t said recesses outstanding from said end extensions and folded upon their vertically extending edges whereby they will enter and fill said recesses in the folded over side portions to lock said side and end portions in folded position.

In testimony whereof, we hereto ax our signatures.

. RALPH e. o. NoURsE.

HOWARD s. soHoLEs. 

